Uganda Grand Birding Tour: 15 Days Hardcore Birdwatching Safari

15 days Uganda birding safari – Hardcore

During this hardcore 15 days Uganda birding safari we cover most of Uganda’s different birding habitats with top IBA’s as well as have time for classic safari and chimps trekking (optional addition of Gorilla trekking). Go with our specialized birding guide to discover the amazing birds Uganda has to offer. This safari will give you the chance for top ticks and we supply a birding checklist to keep track of what you have seen.

 

Day by day itinerary for our 15 days Uganda birding safari:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL ENTEBBE for our ballistic BIRDING SAFARI

Entebbe Airport, meet our Bird guide for the hardcore 15 days Uganda birding safari! If it’s a day flight we could go birding in Entebbe botanical garden ticking off specialities plus urban birds like the Orange weaver, Golden backed weaver and other master builders of the weaver family, Superb sunbird, Hornbills and Turacos plus the rare Bat hawk are on the menu as we explore this transitional habitat.
Overnight in Hotel No5

DAY 2: GREAT SHOEBILL STORK AND TRANSFER TO MASINDI – add on Ziwa rhinos sanctuary

In the morning we head over to Mabamba Swamp for the great shoebill stork, transferring by ferry / canoes to the IBA wetland swamp of Mabamba. Besides the Shoebill stork we could see several aquatic birds, African marsh Harriers, key species like the lesser Jacana and Rufous bellied Heron. If time allow search for the beautiful painted Pygmy goose and White backed ducks. After this we transfer towards Masindi birding along the way, with a stopover at the Luwero swamp and evening birding in the woodland before Masindi for Bruce’s pigeon, Bronze tailed starling, White crested Turaco, Hartlaubs Marsh widow bird, Brown babblers and Purple starling.
Overnight Master Peace Resort.

DAY 3: “THE ROYAL MILE” BIRDING & ON TO LODGE BY MURCHISON FALLS NP

In the morning we continue our 15 days Uganda birding safari by heading for the Royal Mile forest birding. We bird the rank grass for Brown Twinspot, Grey headed Oliveback and Cabanis Bunting to the dazzling forestry track rated as one of the premier forest birding sites in Africa. We will make an acquaintance with the first of many central African forest birds. Birding for The Top 5 of the Royal Mile like Rufous Crowned Eremomela, Ituribatis, Nahan’s francolin, Chocolate backed Kingfishers, Skulking Alethes and Illadopses singing from the undergrowth and we will work through mixed-species flocks of Spotted Greenbuls.

Transfer out through the grasslands trying the Namaqua dove and White rumped seed eater,towards the escarpment for the Cliff chat and Foxy cisticola plus the view of the blue mountains of Congo, Red winged Pytillia and Brown Rumped Buntings are a focus here. Then continue to the lodge just outside Murchison Falls NP for the night.
Overnight Sambiya  River Lodge

DAY 4: GAME-DRIVE & BIRDING IN MURCHISON FALLS NP

Birding the northern bank in the morning, if time allows continue to top of the falls, Rock Pratincole. Northern crombecs, White crested Helmet shrikes and continue out. Game drive Nile river Bank to the broad savannah for the most likelihood Big cats hunting, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffalos, plus more as the checklist of mammals reaches 76! We continue browsing the drive circuits to the Delta point for a cocktail of Birds and mammals, birding along the tracks yields Red necked Falcons, Shelleys Sparrow, Verreaux owl, Carmine bee Eaters, Swallow tailed bee eaters and trying the Dusky babbler, Chestnut Crowned and White browed Sparrow weavers as we try the Denhams Bustard.
Overnight Sambiya  River Lodge

DAY 5: TRANSFER TO KIbaLE FOREST AREA- Major stops to pick more species.

Transfer to Kibale area, stop over at the forest edge near Sebitoli as we try the White-naped pigeons, Afep pigeons and Masked Apalis before continuing through Kibale forest the second forest on this 15 days Uganda birding safari. Here we expect many interesting birds as well as that the forest is home to 9 different species of Monkeys like red colobus, red tailed monkey and bush babies. Colored aviation creatures-butterflies various bird species like the Native Great blue Turaco, Cassin’s flycatcher and Narrow tailed starlings.
Overnight Turaco Treetops

DAY 6: KIBALE FOREST NP FOR THE GREEN BREASTED PITTA & CHIMPS TREKKING

Kibale National Park is a rainy forest and a home to over 1500 Chimpanzees! plus 9 different species of Monkeys- red colobus, red tailed monkey and bush babies. Main focus is the Green Breasted Pitta as we enter the forest before light with calling Brown & Scaly Illadopsis and some good days the African Wood owl can be ticked off using our flash light. After the Pitta we proceed for chimps trekking since it is the same habitat the chimps are easier to locate as they start their day. After the trek head for Red Chested Owlet, Seimundu’s sunbird, Chestnut Winged Starlings and the superb Black bee – eater as we bird the edge of the forest.

Overnight Turaco Treetops

DAY 7: CRATER LAKES BIRDING TOWARDS QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK & BOAT-CRUISE IN AFTERNOON

Transfer out to Queen Elizabeth after Birding the crater areas with an eve targeting the boat cruise and Night jars. In the crater lakes area Joyful greenbul, Mottled and Sabine’s Spinetails, Honey guide Greenbulls, Giant kingfishers and Ross’s turaco, all in the environs of the forest can be viewed on a lucky day. In the afternoon we continue our 15 days Uganda birding safari by getting ready for the Classic highlights on the 2hrs Boat cruise on the famous Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth NP. This is a 36kms channel linking Lake George and Lake Edward. Here we can see land and water Adapted Hippopotamuses Yawning and some slashing canines to each other and the National Geographical society Killing machine the Nile Crocodile gaping along the Bankslots of waders, Pelicans and different gulls.
vernight in Buffalo Safari Lodge

DAY 8: GAME-DRIVE WITH BIRDING IN QUEEN ELIZABETH NP & TRANSFER TO ISHASHA

Queen Elizabeth National Park in the cool morning, this is a park with over 606 bird species. We can take Kazinga Channel Bridge to try and find the Papyrus Gonolek, the African reed warbler, White winged warbler and Lesser Swamp Warbler. We go for a early game drive that exposes us to a diverse birding habitat, afternoon transfer to Ishasha trying the Siffling cisticola, Zebra Waxbill, Stout Cisticola, and more woodland birds.
Overnight Enjonjo Lodge

 

DAY 9: BIRDING IN ISHASHA & TRANSFER TO BWINDI

In the morning we go for birding in Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth NP, trying the Lappet faced Vulture, Marshal eagle and Blue quail. It’s a fantastic scenery to start the day on the plains of Queen Elizabeth and if we are lucky we could spot the tree-climbing lions the area is famous for. After lunch we continue our 15 days Uganda birding safari by transfer to Bwindi’s Buhoma section. If we arrive early, we try the lower altitude birds here in the evening. Here we have chance to see Many-coloured Bush-shrike, White tailed anti-thrush, Grey winged robin Chat, the Stunning Blue-Shoulderd Robin chat, the stunning black billed weaver, Black faced rufous-warbler and Bar-tailed Trogon member (of the Uganda top ten).
Overnight Mahogony Springs

DAY 10: GORILLA TREKKING IN BUHOMA AND EVENING BIRDING.

After an early morning breakfast, proceed to the park headquarters in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a briefing before beginning your unforgettable gorilla trekking adventure through the dense rainforest. Spend a magical hour observing a habituated gorilla family in their natural habitat. In the evening, enjoy a guided birding walk around Buhoma, where you may spot species such as the African green broadbill, Great blue turaco, Black bee-eater, and various sunbirds before returning to the lodge for relaxation and overnight stay.

Overnight Mahogony Springs

 

DAY 11: BIRDING FOR LOWER ALTITUDE ENDEMICS IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK

Birding in the interior of the primary forest towards the water fall trail targeting highlights like the endemics newly described Willard’s sooty Boubou, Chapins flycatcher and trying the rare ground thrushes Abyssinian and Kivu as we hope for the Neumann’s Warbler. We have picknick lunch in the resting huts in the forest and expect to be back mid afternoon. Lower altitude birds towards “the neck” for trying out the Motacila Clara, Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, try to call out the African Black Ducks, Black-faced Rufous Warbler and Olive Sunbirds.
Overnight Bakiga Lodge

DAY 12: MUBWINDI HIGHLANd Hike, Grauers Broadbill, Endemics Cont’d.

Ruhija Sector / Mubwindi swamp expedition. Albertin endemics day aiming to grip on the Rwenzori Batis, Dusky Crimsonwing, Blue headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, African green broadbill, Grauer’s rush warbler, Dwarf honey guide, Stripe-breasted Tit, Archers Robin chat, Black billed Turaco plus White browed crombec, tullbergs woodpecker, soaring buzzards and flocks of Stuhlmanns starlings with there aerial displays. This Impenetrable Forest is full of flora and fauna, birds, butterfly and plant species plus mammals like the little bohms squirrel, forest hogs, forest Elephants, Statungas, Duikers super and the best of natures forest sounds.
Overnight Bakiga Lodge

DAY 13: BIRDING TOWARDS LAKE MBURO

Birding Lake Mburo NP, get up early focusing on picking up new species. It’s a dense population of some rare birds in Mburo. Birding towards Lake Mburo national park as we continue our 15 days Uganda birding safari, trying the lower valleys of the Forest until we leave Bwindi. Along the way we could see Greater Swamp Warblers or Papyrus Canary, till the woodlands of Lake Mburo. Here we find Bearded Wood pecker, Black Collared Barbet, Red faced Barbet, Crested Barbet, Red headed Weavers, Afternoon birding until the Nightjars display.
Overnight Mihingo Lodge

DAY 14: WOODLAND & SAVANNAh BIRDING IN LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK

More early birding when its still active – this woodland park, short grasslands is habited with rare residents of North west Tanzania as it shares the same ecosystem with the southern protected area. Tabora Cisticola, Cuckoo Shrikes, Pearl Spotted Owlet, the musical Sulphur-breasted Bush-Shrike and Penduline Tits before we drive off to Entebbe late afternoon.

If time allows we swing kako Swamp for some aquatic birds, Snipes, black crakes, Long Toed Lapwings, flocks of cranes, weavers, teals, geese with many more in this swamp.

Overnight Hotel No 5

DAY 15: TRANSFER TO ENTEBBE FOR FLIGHT

After breakfast, transfer to Entebbe for your onward journey. Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy scenic views along the way before proceeding to the airport for check-in and your departure flight, marking the end of your memorable safari experience.